A few days ago, Microsoft released the long-awaited Windows Phone 7.8 update for all those users who will be stuck on Windows Phone 7 forever because there's no upgrade path to Windows Phone 8 other than buying a new phone. Now that it's here, what, exactly, does WP7.8 to the table?

I just bought an HTC 8S and while it's a beautiful phone, inside and out, I can't shake the feeling that it's not a smartphone. Everything you do is somehow awkward and limiting.

I also have the HTC 8S and had a Lumia 710 before. The `funniest' thing is that I have to look really hard to see any improvements and advantages of Windows Phone 8 compared to Windows Phone 7.5. Sure, it has a new basis and it is a better platform for the future. But the upgrade hasn't bought me much as a customer. Well, except (hopefully) updates for a longer period.

- Kid's corner? Nice, if we had kids. Although, we'd probably buy them an iPod-touch like device if we trusted them with a device.

- Rooms: great, but all my family has iPhones and my friends have iPhones or Android phones. The 'Rooms' experience on other phones? Not so great.

- Data sense: not available with my provider.

- Smartglass: I don't have an XBox. And AFAIK, it is supported on WP7 too.

- XBox Music unlimited: doesn't work on a Mac or Linux. So, I'll stay with rd.io or Spotify.

- Camera app lenses. I don't use it. The camera on the 8s sucks anyway.

- NFC: the phone doesn't have it.

- SD card support: you cannot put apps on it.

The only interesting new features for me were: the extra tile size (now also supported on WP7), OTA updates, and a newer Internet Explorer. Mildly useful is the SD card support, because at the very least I can store some data elsewhere.

Lots of things aren't fixed, such as the lack of Facebook features (all my app and user blocks are gone, I can't like comments, etc.), losing messenger connectivity all the time and spotty Skype connectivity.

All in all, it's a decent OS, and there is some good hardware available at decent prices (e.g. the Nokia 620). But Microsoft f*cked early adopters and loyal customers royally. And there's little reason to believe that they won't do that again.